Apr. 17, 2009 - Decorating Style

So we've been in renovation/decoration mode in our home for the last several months now, and it's great.  I love it!  I've been color-swatching, picture-framing and wall-hanging like crazy.  Inspiration for this began when we finally got our icky, old country blue carpet out and our beautiful hardwood floors in.   (Before and after pictures to come SOON!  I promise. :) 

But the question remains as I hustle and bustle my way around with vases, flowers and rugs, what style am I actually going for?  I mean, what is MY style?  One thing I have discovered over the years is that my tastes are an evolving, ever-changing part of me based on the many different life factors going on at the moment.  I can change my mind on a color I've been set on for months in a  moment's notice given a sudden burst of inspiration in my sleep one night. 

So, all of that is to say, I found this quiz online (a tip of my hat to Carkay!) that helps you determine your own personal style.  I think the below results are pretty close to my current decor style...




43% Wine Country Style

Tuscan sun, here we come! The Wine Country style reflects the feelings evoked by the seaside regions of Europe such as the South of France, Spain, Italy and Greece. The style manages to be both refined and casual, such that you can mix beautiful antiques with more rustic wrought iron or wood and the result is both sophisticated and cozy.

Furniture is large and comfortable, colors are bright and cheery, and regardless of the color palette the spaces almost always feel warm. You can easily translate the style into the perfect family environment but you can just as easily emphasize the more formal pieces and make your room the perfect adult getaway.

 



29% Classic

What's old is new again! The beauty of Classic style is how well it takes all of the beautiful forms, colors and textures of the past and reinvents them in a way that feels both fresh and inspired.  The style itself is a mix of European influences and French, English and Italian antiques and replicas are often used together. Furniture is well proportioned and comfortable and the rooms give off an air of sophistication and grace. Oil paintings depicting still-life or nature scenes and emphasizing symmetry of pairs helps maintain the traditional nature of the room. Windows are often covered with opulent fabric shades and/or drapery.

Traditional rooms give off an air of history that seems to say "I was here long before you, and will remain long after you've gone." And yet, even with this level of sophistication, the rooms are soft and inviting.


 

28% Cottage Chic

Who says that cottages can't be modern and chic? Who says that they have to be floral and cheesy? Not you!  You love the carefree spirit that the cottage interior inspires, but you are also serious about your appreciation for modern art and hip treasures. You love old and new alike, and love to highlight them all to expose the uniqueness of each. What better way to show off these treasures than with a light background?


How about you?  I'd love to see what your tastes are!  You can take the quiz at: http://www.sproost.com. :)

- 2 Comments - Post A Comment! - Permanent Link

Jun. 20, 2006 - Some Healthy Ideas

I know... you're thinking, "Umm...tofu smoothies, Myklin??"  *grin*  And I have to say that at first I was raising an eyebrow too, and was, quite honestly, thinking that it sounded kind of weird.  But lately I have had a very hard time stomaching really meaty proteins, so I've been desperately looking for alternatives!  And to my surprise, I've found tofu to be one of my newest and dearest friends!!  Granted, I've only tried silken tofu it in blender drinks, so I can't even begin to imagine what it would taste like as a traditional food substitute.  I do have to say though, that it's barely noticeable in these yummy and healthy smoothie recipes below!

• 1/2 cup sliced mango, fresh or frozen
• 1/2 cup silken tofu (about 6 oz.)
• 1/4 pineapple (fresh, frozen, or canned and drained)
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 5 ice cubes (not necessary if fruit is frozen)
  

Put ingredients in blender and pulse on high speed till smooth.  Makes 2 servings.  (VARIATION:  Replace tofu with half a banana and 1/3 cup nonfat reg. yogurt.  Or use frozen cubes of OJ in place of ice and juice; thin with nonfat milk if needed.)

Tofu Smoothie
(from YouGrowGirl.com)

• 1/3 block silken tofu
• 1 cup mixed fresh berries
• 1 ripe banana, broken up into bits
• 2 cups orange juice

Throw all ingredients into a blender and blend. Add more OJ as necessary. Enjoy!  You can also make this recipe year-round with frozen fruit.  (Note: I made this recipe without the fresh berries and it still tasted wonderful!)

Berry Protein Smoothie

• 1 Banana
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup nonfat yogurt (plain, berry or vanilla flavored)
• 1 cup frozen or fresh berries
  
• 2 scoops of your favorite whey protein powder
• 1/4 - 1/2 cup thin or nonfat milk
  
• Approx. 5-6 ice cubes (if using fresh berries)

Blend all ingredients on highest speed until smooth in texture.  Makes 2 servings.  (Note: Add a small amount of honey to sweeten if needed.)

I hope ya'll enjoy!  Please be sure to let me know if you have some good smoothie recipes of your own you'd like to share. 

GOD BLESS!

- 2 Comments - Post A Comment! - Permanent Link

Apr. 3, 2006 - Dinner Time Ideas!

- Travis and I had a blast Friday night cooking hamburgers on the grill!  

Here's the recipe...

Lea's Hamburgers

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the ground beef, onion, egg, bread crumbs, and bacon bits. Season with garlic salt. (I like to use a lot.) Divide into four balls, and pat into patties.
3. Lightly oil the grate, and place patties onto the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes per side, or until firm and no longer pink in the center. Serve on toasted buns with your favorite hamburger toppings.

Toasting the buns really made a difference in how professional these burgers tasted.  Trav and I both agreed that they tasted better than any homemade burgers we'd had before.   (I LOVE it when that happens!! )  I'm so glad I found this recipe.  



- Also, I recently discovered this EASY and surprisingly delectable dish!

Amazing Chicken

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
• (I also added approx. 1 cup of Parmeson Cheese)
  

---

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Grease a shallow baking dish.
2. Coat chicken breasts on all sides with mayonnaise, and roll in bread crumbs until coated. Place coated breasts into the prepared pan.
3. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle, and the juices run clear.

This is SOOOO yummy!  For those people out there who aren't big Mayonnaise fans, you'll be surprised because you can barely distinguish the Mayo flavor.  Seriously, it just tastes like a nice creamy breading on the chicken breasts.  Go ahead and try it! 

It's simple and tasty.

"Cooking is at once child's play and adult joy. And cooking done with care is an act of love." ~ Craig Claiborne

 

"In cooking, as in all the arts, simplicity is the sign of perfection." ~ Curnosky

"In the childhood memories of every good cook, there's a large kitchen, a warm stove, a simmering pot and a mom."  ~Barbara Costikyan"

- 4 Comments - Post A Comment! - Permanent Link

Jan. 25, 2006 - A Few Fave Recipes...

- 2 Comments - Post A Comment! - Permanent Link

Dec. 23, 2005 - Toffee Bars...MMMMmmmm!

I promised Jodi I'd post this recipe I made for our family Christmas party last Sunday...  So here it is!! 

---

Toffee Bars

1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups shortening
4 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
2 cups quick oatmeal (I didn't have this, so I used old fashioned oats and blended it up in the food processor until it resembled quick oats! *grin*)
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
1/4 cup walnuts (again, I didn't have any nuts, so I used 1/2 cup of finely chopped coconut flakes)

Cream together sugars and shortening.  Beat in vanilla and eggs.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Spread into greased sheet cake pan.  Bake at 325-350 degrees for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle with chocolate chops - let melt.  Spread evenly across top and sprinkle with ground walnuts (or in my case, coconut).  Allow to cool before cutting. 

SIDE NOTE:  You can cut these into diamond shapes to make them more special!  Make first set of cuts parallel to length of pan, then 2nd set of cuts at an angle.

---

Thanks for sending me all your fun dessert recipes, Jodi!!!  I can't wait to try them.  I hope you all enjoy this one!  We certainly did.

- 9 Comments - Post A Comment! - Permanent Link

Dec. 15, 2005 - Ritzy Chicken Recipe

I never considered myself much of "kitchen" kind of girl, ya know? Now it wasn't that I disliked doing the dishes or making dinner and that sort of thing, I just simply didn't LOVE doing them.

But surprise of all surprises, lo and behold a change has begun in my life!!  I feel like a new woman!!  Yes indeed... Ever since I got married (we just celebrated our 4-month anniversary), I simply CANNOT believe how much PLEASURE I find in kitchen work!!  I have found that I really ENJOY cooking, baking and preparing meals!!!   Yes, shocking I know.

I'm sure that much of it has to do with the fact that Travis is always sooooo extremely grateful for and excited about anything I make!  Bless his cute little ol' heart...he was just used to bachelor-style-Ravioli-cooked-in-the-can-over-the-stove kind of food, methinks.   I don't think it's that I'm making anything tremendously spectacular really!  But he just can't help but be a sweetie.

I'm also sure that there's just something special about a woman having her own kitchen to do with whatever she so desires.  Somehow, I just can't explain why, it's exciting for me to prepare special meals for the two of us in our very own little home.  I suppose I sound a bit like a newlywed, don't I?  Oh well!  I think it's because I AM! *grinning*

Oh....but I have to admit that doing dishes is still not among my top 10 favorite things to do in the kitchen.  *sheepishly*  Some things simply don't change. *smile* 

Anyway, I wanted to thank brittanyrose for posting a wonderful Southwest Beef Steak recipe!  I thought I'd share one of my favorites here as well.  It was one of our most popular specials we used to serve back when I was a waitress at a cute little victorian Christian tea room in Wichita, Kansas called the Riverside Cup of Tea.  After countless customer (and employee) requests, they finally came out with a cookbook of some of their greatest recipes and this favorite dish was among them! 

Ritzy Chicken

1 1/2 rolls Ritz Crackers
1 stick margarine or butter
2 c. cooked chicken, diced into bite-sized pieces
1 c. chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
8 oz. sour cream

Melt margarine and mix well with cracker crumbs. Place 2/3 of crackers, crushed on bottom of 9x13 in. baking dish. Place chicken over crackers. Pour mixture of broth, soup and sour cream over chicken. Sprinkle rest of crackers over top. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min. Serves 4-6

What other great recipes do you all have out there?  I'd love it if you could share them with me!!  I enjoy trying new things... (Well, actually everything is "new" for me right now! )

Also, does anyone have any especially wonderful Christmas dessert recipes??  I am needing to bring something sweet to one of our family Christmas celebrations this Sunday and I'd like to make something really great. 

Any suggestions??

- 11 Comments - Post A Comment! - Permanent Link